Residents are concerned about a National Parks and Wildlife Services plan to remove two mature trees from an "Asset Protection Zone", abutting 10 Sutton Street, Greenfield Beach.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Robyn Neeson said she believes the trees to be old-growth.
"I'm very unhappy," she said.
"I'm concerned as there are gliders living in the area; every tree is consequential.
"Couldn't it be trimmed annually as part of the maintenance of trees in the (nearby) car park?"
NPWS Shoalhaven Area manager Michael Phelan said the trees needed to be removed for safety in case of fire.
"The Asset Protection Zone is a sacrificial area for the protection of life and property," he said.
"This APZ is not up to current guidelines, and we do need to do something to comply.
"The trees are not conducive to pruning - for the larger tree, we would have to remove more than 30 per cent of its canopy, which is against Australian guidelines. The small tree could be pruned annually, but it would be expensive and I don't think it's the best use of our resources."
He said an environmental assessment would be conducted "by someone not involved in decision making" before the trees were removed.
